Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Mike Rice Producers import two actors often seen in American films to spice up a Raymond Carver story transported to its new setting in Oz. I now remember a variation of this story from Robert Altman's Raymond Carver based film Short Cuts.I saw this on DVD, not in a theater. Five minutes were missing. I wondered if they were what must have been an awful rape scene? The murderer needed so badly to be caught and there were so many ways he should have been, so why not do what the audience wants and try to capture the rapist at least comes the dawn.I'm a little disappointed. I fell in love with the Oz movies when they started appearing in the late seventies. Let me give you a couple you can really chew on: Breaker Morant and Heart of the Stag. I recently made an extraordinary effort to get Heart of the Stag and succeeded. I asked for it ten months ago on Netflix and it wasn't found. Then in late summer I looked again and there it was.Jindabyne's a good film. Laura Linney is fine. I didn't have much respect for the other fishermen and their wives, or the husband played by Gabe Byrne either, even at the end. The movie owned a hard reality. One more thing: the way these Oz working men and their wives dressed is just putrid. The worst are those colorful coveralls Gabe Byrne wore at the office and eventually, everywhere.

Martin Teller I have absolutely no idea how this ended up on my "want to see" list. I know nothing about the director, I don't particularly care about the actors, it has a rather low score on IMDb, and I don't remember hearing about it anywhere. About a third of the way through I had a flash of recognition as I realized that many years ago I'd read the Raymond Carver story it was based on (the same story also makes up a portion of SHORT CUTS, although I've forgotten it being in there at all).Lawrence expands on the story a bit, at least to my recollection. I don't remember there being any racial elements, which adds some interesting angles to the themes of guilt. The characters feel a wide array of guilts, and use them as weapons against each other, so introducing white guilt into the mix gives the film more avenues to explore. I found the drama rather compelling (after a somewhat sluggish first act) with its dilemmas and interpersonal conflict. I haven't read Carver for a long time, but I know he liked to examine the ways in which we justify our actions. However, the film does lay it on a bit thick at times, despite attempts at subtlety. Some of the metaphorical work going on is pretty heavy-handed. I also found the performances not terribly impressive. Still, a worthwhile endeavor for fans of moral tales.

Eternality The sleepy town of Jindabyne lays peacefully in suburban Australia but is badly awoken by a murder incident that divides the townsmen. With this framework, director Ray Lawrence is able to craft a unique motion picture that shows excellent insight and clear focus. Essentially a character piece, Jindabyne follows the trend of Clint Eastwood's Mystic River, portraying how lives are interrelated and affected in a local community, and the undesirable consequences that follow.The central theme of Jindabyne is one of race. When the body of a young black woman is discovered by a group of white men gone fishing, they decide to report the incident only days later after their fishing trip. This misjudgment escalates not only into a major racial issue, but also creates thorns in family relationships. The cast gives credible displays, especially Laura Linney, whose performance is both powerful and dynamic. Lawrence's direction is astute, and this allows the film narrative to flow like a river going downstream.The real plus point of Jindabyne is the cinematography work by rookie David Williamson. His ability to capture the Australian wild and its gorgeous natural beauty is noticeably impressive. The slight problem lies in the ending which is abrupt and leaves many questions unanswered. Was there justice? Was there redemption? Somehow as the end credits roll, some viewers are likely to feel unsatisfied.Jindabyne is high on drama but low on thrills. There are homage scenes referenced from the unforgettable Jaws' opening sequence. Sometimes, there's an eerie glow to the film atmosphere, but it dissipates quickly, leaving Jindabyne little room to build its capacity as a thriller. It's a substantial effort from the filmmakers, but the sum is never greater than the sum of its parts. Jindabyne starts strongly; alas it goes out with a whimper. It never really realized its immense cinematic potential.SCORE: 7.5/10 (www.filmnomenon.blogspot.com) All rights reserved!

MarieGabrielle This film is at first subtle suspense,then drama and human psychodrama,spiced with human failings, marital discord,a curious backdrop of the haunted town of Jindabyne,and community unrest,racial conflict and a local serial killer.Perfect performance by Gabriel Byrne as Kane,a local gas station owner who has several fishing and drinking buddies, and discovers the corpse of a young woman on one of these trips. He and his friends wait a few days to report to the authorities, and the moral issues of this are complex and varied.The young woman victim was of Aborigine extraction, although this aspect may have been divulged more clearly to the audience.Byrne and his wife Claire (sterling performance by Laura Linney),are in the midst of their own marital issues,she has a son and Byrne seems to favor him,there is underlying rage Claire has toward her husband which is not fully explored. The manner in which the young woman's death is treated by Kane is also a source of rage, Claire asks him if he would have been so cavalier and uncaring if the victim were a young boy;the issues of racism and sexism are touched upon, but could have been made a bit clearer without dominating the storyline.The backdrop of Jindabyne itself is haunting,beautiful and sinister,in the mode almost of film-noir;we know at the start of the film the location has a marked influence and fate in store for its characters.A must see for anyone who appreciates character studies,suspense and even horror.9/10.